Chapter 280: Represent My Whole Family

Ye Guan stood frozen and in a daze as if he had been struck by lightning.

When the pressure boring down on him had vanished, he ran over to where Ba Wan had been like a madman. Ba Wan’s fleshly body and soul had disappeared. Only the large bowl that she had been carrying on her back was all that was left.

Ye Guan collapsed to the ground.

The Adjudication Sword Master stared at the large bowl in a daze.

She didn't expect that Ba Wan would make such an extreme decision.

The Adjudication Sword Master looked like her soul had left her. Her voice was trembling as she muttered, “Why… Why…”

Ye Guan suddenly sat up and pleaded, “Senior! Please save—”

“I can't!” the mysterious voice exclaimed, “It was a decision she made on her own; no one had forced her into it. I can't save her.”

Ye Guan went silent, but he quickly recovered and pleaded, “Master Pagoda…”

"She's very strong," Little Pagoda replied, “And no one can save her from death if she wants to die.”

Ye Guan went beyond pallid at that.

Just then, the Adjudication Sword Master's gaze fell on him. A ferocious expression suffused her visage as she roared, “This is your fault! This is all your fault, you piece of shit!”

She took a stance with her sword and was about to swing it toward Ye Guan when a dim light abruptly manifested in front of Ye Guan. A woman was standing in the dim light.

The Adjudication Sword Master's eyes narrowed, and she exclaimed, “It’s you!”

The woman said softly, “Cijing, you haven't changed at all!”

The Adjudication Sword Master tightened her grip on the Adjudication Sword. Her expression turned menacing as she questioned, “You’re helping him, too?”

The woman sighed to herself without saying anything.

“I know…” The Adjudication Sword Master said, “I know that both Cishu and you are still holding a grudge against Big Sister for what happened to the Stone Village. I feel the same. I scolded and even beat her up, but what she had done doesn't mean that we should betray her, the Stone Village, or even the True Universe!”

The woman in the dim light shook her head and said, “Ba Wan didn't betray the True Universe, and she didn't betray Big Sister as well. I also didn't betray anyone.”

The Adjudication Sword Master pointed at Ye Guan and yelled, “Do you not have any idea of his identity? He's the King of the Guanxuan Universe!"

The woman in the dim light retorted, “Do you really think that can kill him?”

The Adjudication Sword Master's eyes narrowed. She was about to say something, but the woman in the dim light beat her to the chase and said, “Cijing, have you still not realized that we're changing, slowly but surely, after we left the Stone Village?"

The Adjudication Sword Master looked indifferent, but her eyes radiated a cold and gloomy light. “Regardless of what you say, it all means that you're just holding a grudge against Big Sister for what happened at the Stone Village back then.

"I feel the same, but if we were in her shoes, would we have done things in a different way?”

The woman in the dim light was silent.

The Adjudication Sword Master continued. “Did Big Sister have any other choice? No! I would have killed her myself if what she had done was for the sake of her vested interests, but it wasn't the case! She did it for the sake of the Stone Village's denizens! She simply wanted more of them to live!”

The Adjudication Sword Master closed her eyes and added, “She had saved all of us, but we're actually holding a grudge against her for what she had done. Despite her sacrifice, she had never expected anything in return, nor did she want us to pay her back—never!”

The woman in the dim light shook her head and said, “I'm not holding a grudge against her, and I do not hate her. I know that she did it for our sake, but… what she did afterward wasn't right."

The Sword Adjudication Master stared deeply at the woman in the dim light and said coldly, “We did the right thing. We would have ended up being bullied like what had happened to us when we were still in the Stone Village if we weren't strong enough.

"Imagine what the Heaven Seizing Clan would have done if we were the losers. Do you really think that they would treat our people kindly?”

The young woman in the dim glow was quiet.

The Adjudication Sword Master continued. “What would have happened to us if we had lost in that battle against the holders of the Divine Dao Bloodline? What about that battle against Sovereign Qing, the Panwu World, and what would have happened if the Universe Tribulation had been allowed to wreak havoc?"

The young woman in the dim glow chimed in, “Don’t you think that what we had done makes us no different from those great demonic beasts? Have you already forgotten how they treated us back then? We've become harbingers of doom and destruction; wherever we went, doom and destruction would follow."

The young woman in the dim glow shook her head and added, "We used to think that the cards dealt to us by fate were unfair. We were furious at it, but I later realized that we weren't angry at the cards that fate had dealt to us. We were furious at the fact that we were weak."

"We eventually grew stronger, but we continued the cycle of injustice rather than eliminating it by bullying those weaker than us," the young woman in the dim glow chuckled sarcastically and said, "We treat those who are strong as equals, but we treat the weak as mere ants."

The young boy wanted to slay a dragon, but perhaps his ultimate goal was to become that dragon after slaying it.

"What's wrong about that?" The Adjudication Sword Master frowned while staring at the young woman in the dim glow. “The vast expanse has always been like this. The strong are esteemed and honored.

"The True Universe would have no shortage of bullies if it were weak. Do you really think that our enemies will be tactful toward us? You're not a child, so stop being so naive, all right?”

The young woman in the dim glow nodded and said, “I never said that you and Big Sister were wrong. I just don’t want to lead the True Universe’s troops into committing any more massacres.”

“Did you sleep with this piece of shit as well?” asked the Adjudication Sword Master.

Little Pagoda was rendered speechless.

"For fuck's sake!" the young woman in the dim glow snarled, “Can we talk properly?”

She waved her sleeve, and a ray of light flew toward the Adjudication Sword Master.

The Adjudication Sword Master swung her sword toward it.

Clang!

The ray of light shattered.

The Adjudication Sword Master rushed over to the young woman in the dim glow and said contemptuously, “Cishu is much more straightforward than you. So what if you've slept with him?”

The young woman in the dim glow responded, “Whether I’ve slept with him or not is none of your business!”

The Adjudication Sword Master stared alternatingly between the young woman in the dim glow and Ye Guan. Her eyes fell on Ye Guan, and she snapped, “You're completely unworthy of either Ba Wan or her. You'd be completely worthless without your status!”

With that, she turned around and left.

Ye Guan suddenly called out, “Wait!”

The Adjudication Sword Master stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Ye Guan.

“Three years," Ye Guan said, "Give me three years, and I will defeat you.”

The Adjudication Sword Master’s face darkened. “I’ll give you three hundred years.”

Ye Guan raised one finger and said, “One year. Just give me one year.”

The Adjudication Sword Master stared deeply at Ye Guan without saying anything.

"If I manage to defeat you one year later, I want you to kneel and apologize to me. I want you to say these exact words to me—Brother Ye Guan, I was wrong. I shouldn't have looked down on you.

"If I fail to defeat you, I'll kneel and apologize to you, and then I'll say that you were right—I'm completely worthless without my status," Ye Guan said.

The Adjudication Sword Master gazed at Ye Guan for quite a while before saying, “I’ll give you a hundred years!”

Ye Guan walked up to her and whispered, “I just need one year.”

The Adjudication Sword Master relented, “Fine. One year. I’ll be waiting.”

With that, she turned around and walked away.

The young woman in the dim glow suddenly said, “The Universe Tribulation is—”

"It's none of your business," the Adjudication Sword Master said coldly, "Go and live whatever life you want."

She took to the skies and disappeared into the horizon.

The young woman in the dim glow fell silent.

"Senior…" Ye Guan suddenly said, “Ba Wan… she's still alive, right?”

The young woman in the dim glow stared quietly at Ye Guan without saying anything.

Ye Guan's firm gaze didn't stray from her as he earnestly waited for a reply.

The young woman in the dim glow soon nodded.

Ye Guan heaved a sigh of relief. The Adjudication Sword Master and the young woman in the dim glow were definitely close to Ba Wan, so it didn't make sense for them to remain calm despite Ba Wan's death.

In fact, they even went on a tirade against each other.

Seeing that, Ye Guan guessed that Ba Wan had to be still alive. Of course, he didn't dare to jump to conclusions by himself, so he patiently waited for the young woman in the dim glow's reply.

Upon hearing the reply that he had been looking for, Ye Guan finally heaved a sigh of relief.

"But…" The young woman in the dim glow sounded hesitant. “There's a possibility that she…”

Unease gripped Ye Guan's heart as he stared at the young woman.

“What is it, Senior?”

“She had established her own Dao beyond the three thousand Great Daos, and her Dao is called the Forget-Me Dao. In other words, there's a chance that she won't recognize you the next time you see her."

Ye Guan froze and went silent.

The young woman sighed and went quiet.

Ye Guan suddenly asked, “How did she recover her memories?”

The young woman replied, “It’s because of you...”

Ye Guan frowned. “Me?”

"Yes." the young woman nodded and explained, "She liked you, and her feelings allowed her to remember her past. You have to make her like you again the next time you meet here; otherwise…"

Ye Guan asked, “Senior, where can I find her?”

“I don’t know,” replied the young woman.

However, Ye Guan was undeterred. His gaze was transfixed on her, desperate for an answer. The young woman shook her head and said, “I really can’t say for sure.”

Ye Guan clenched his fists tightly.

Little Pagoda suddenly said, “I know someone who probably knows the answer to that question.”

Ye Guan hurriedly asked, “Who?”

“The Great Daoist Brush Master”

“The Great Daoist Brush Master?” asked Ye Guan.

“Yes!” said the Little Pagoda.

"Get him to meet me, Master Pagoda!" Ye Guan exclaimed.

Little Pagoda's reply came a bit late. “I don't think he gives a rat's shit about you.”

“Then I’ll go and meet him!” Ye Guan replied.

Little Pagoda was speechless.

Ye Guan frowned and asked, “What’s the problem with that?”

Little Pagoda replied, “Can I say a few honest words?”

“Yes!”

“The Great Daoist Brush Master is extremely strong. You’ve seen Ba Wan and the Adjudication Sword Master's strength, but neither of them is the Great Daoist Brush Master's match.

"Do you understand what I'm trying to say here?"

However, Ye Guan remained calm as he asked, “What if I go there as the representative of my entire family? Will there be any issues?”

Little Pagoda had no idea what to say. I guess there won't be any issues if you do that.

Ye Guan closed his eyes and said, “I know it's going to be difficult, but I would like to meet her again.”

The young woman chimed in, “You should go to the Divine Dao World, then! There's a chance that the Great Daoist Brush Master is there.”

Ye Guan asked, “The Divine Dao World?”

“The once-glorious Divine Dao Bloodline came from the Divine Dao World. It is unfortunate, but the True Universe has cordoned off that world since that battle long ago, but if you somehow manage to enter it, you might be able to find him there."

Ye Guan pondered briefly before nodding. “I understand. Please lead the way for me, Senior."

The young woman turned around to lead the way, but the spacetime in front of Ye Guan was abruptly torn open. A group of powerful cultivators walked out of the spacetime rift.

An old man walked up to Ye Guan. He cupped his fist and said, “Young Lord Ye, I'm the Clan Leader of the Ling Clan. I implore you to please stay for a little while.”

Ye Guan looked at him and asked, “Senior, is there anything wrong?”

The people here had left a great impression on Ye Guan, and it was all thanks to Sovereign Qing's attitude.

The Clan Leader of the Ling Clan said, “Young Lord Ye, the Divine Tree of Nature is with you, right?”

Ye Guan nodded and said, “Yes.”

Ling Clan’s clan leader explained, “Young Lord Ye, the Divine Tree of Nature belongs to my Wujian Universe, and the myriad clans here have faith in it. Sovereign Qing doesn't have sole ownership of it; it also belongs to us, so…”

Ye Guan looked at him and asked, “The Wujian Universe have faith in the Divine Tree of Nature?”

"Yes, yes, yes!" The Clan Leader of the Ling Clan hurriedly nodded and said, "You understand what I’m trying to say, right? Young Lord Ye?”

"Yes, I understand that it is the Wujian Universe's object of devotion," Ye Guan said, “That’s great! You have faith in the Divine Tree of Nature, and the Divine Tree of Nature belongs to me. In that case, you guys can just put your faith in me from now on. I don’t mind it at all!”

Everyone froze and went silent.